The first humanitarian vessel chartered by the UN to carry Ukrainian grain left the port of Pivdenny, bound for Africa, carrying about 23,000 tons, Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure announced.
“This morning the cargo ship left for the port of Djibouti, where the food will be delivered to consumers in Ethiopia upon arrival,” the ministry wrote on the Telegram messaging platform.
The ship is chartered by the United Nations World Food Programme.
Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Oleksander Kubrakov said he expected “two or three” UN chartered ships to leave soon.
BRAVE COMMANDER left the Pivdennyi Sea Port. I am thankful for @UN and @WFP for your support and all the hard work you have done. The cargo ship is expected to arrive in two weeks. #BlackSeaGrainInitiative pic.twitter.com/qyVjKftDf3
— Oleksandr Kubrakov (@OlKubrakov) August 16, 2022
This is the first shipment of food aid to leave Ukraine since Kiev and Moscow signed an export agreement for Ukrainian grain in July, blocked by the war between the two countries.
The first commercial ship departed on the 1st and, according to Ukrainian authorities, a total of more than 15 ships have left Ukraine since the agreement came into effect, but no UN humanitarian cargo has departed yet.
Ukraine and Russia are among the world’s largest grain exporters, whose prices have risen since the start of the war.
According to the World Food Program, a record 345 million people in 82 countries are now seriously food insecure, while without humanitarian aid up to 50 million people in 45 countries are at risk of starvation.
Source: El heraldo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
